Sebbies due Saturday -- Nothing yet!?

[Lamar Estate]

Hello--

I have 2 Sebastopol eggs in my incubator. The temperature is 98 degrees and the humidity is between 70 and 80%. They were due yesterday.

I candled them when I added more water today (I usually don't open the incubator during lockdown since I can add water through a straw and rubber hose, but I HAD to know what was going on). The goslings are moving around a little bit, but I can't tell if they have broken into the air cell yet. With my ducklings, I could see their beaks tapping against the shell and eventually part of their bodies in the air cell. All I see with these eggs is a small amount of shadow-like movements near the air cell, but nothing beak like.

Does this mean they haven't internally pipped yet? Do I just wait? Do they have air to breathe? I'm so worried. I'm very new to all of this!

Thank you,
Amanda

 

[pips&peeps]

Your temperature is a little low, they may take an extra day. I also think your humidity is too high right now. I don't up it until they pip.

 

[Lamar Estate]

pips&peeps :

Your temperature is a little low, they may take an extra day. I also think your humidity is too high right now. I don't up it until they pip.

Thank you. That's good to know.

What should be the temperature and humidity?​

 

[Cottage Rose]

Your humidity is fine.
I don't know that you should adjust the temp at this point.
Its nerve racking when you're new to this but just be patient.
They will come out when they are ready although sometimes
for whatever reason some babies never pip internally and die.
But thats a small perentage so hang in there.
Let us know what you get!

 

[Lamar Estate]

Well, one of them died in the shell yesterday. I was worried since the other egg was still rocking. I quickly candled it and knew that it had died.

When I broke open the shell, the gosling never internally pipped. There was some liquid inside the membrane. The membrane around the shell wall was brown and gooey. A lot of yolk was still unabsorbed. It was such a sad experience.

I'm just hoping my other egg makes it. It's still rocking a little bit. I'm not sure if it has internally pipped yet. It was due on the 19th.

Thank you,
Amanda

 

[Cottage Rose]

Awww, so sorry to hear that Amanda.

Its always sad to lose them like that.
Artificial incubation comes with a myriad of problems.
Geese are much harder to hatch out than chickens.
They say expect 30 -50% hatch rate.
Well keep trying.
BTW Strombergs has an excellent booklette on incubation.

 

[Lamar Estate]

How long should I wait for this second egg? I don't think it has internally pipped yet.

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
The membrane is usually a brown gooey stuff. If there was a lot of liquid, to me, it would mean that the humidity was too high. What did you have the humidity set for during the incubation?

I don't up the humidity until they pip; I leave it at 40-50% during incubation.

Is the other gosling still moving inside the egg??

 

[Lamar Estate]

I had the humidity around 55%. After reading posts specifically dedicated to Sebastopols, it sounds as if everyone recommends a much lower humidity percentage than what is suggested in the geese books.

The other egg is doing okay. It's rocking and I finally hear very weak and faint peeping.

Since it's 2 days late, should I help it? Yesterday I started to hear it tapping on the shell. I think today was the first day I could hear any peeping.

Thank you.

 

[shelleyd2008]

If you help it you will most certainly kill it. Geese can take up to 3 days after internally pipping before they hatch. Just let it be and it will work it out on its own.